Sen. Susan Collins suggested on Tuesday that Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had provided a satisfactory answer on abortion rights (he hadn’t, if Collins’ supposed pro-choice views are for real). Collins also said Tuesday that she was “not really surprised” that Donald Trump’s former campaign chair had been convicted on eight felony charges. She apparently did not comment on Trump’s former personal lawyer pleading guilty to election law violations that he said he’d committed at Trump’s direction. What do Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort have to do with Brett Kavanaugh? Senate Democrats are drawing a strong line:
Susan Collins’ dishonesty about what Kavanaugh was promising on abortion rights suggests she’s taking the path she took on the Republican tax law—giving away her vote in exchange for supposed promises that will be broken immediately.
But Cohen’s finger pointed at Trump changes the game. Collins has made it clear she’s willing to accept all sorts of lies and false promises on the issues to justify a vote for Kavanaugh. Now, though,she has to ask herself if she can maintain her pose as a reasonable moderate while voting for Kavanaugh. Is the long-term sacrifice of the public image that’s gotten Collins so much attention and leverage over the years worth a vote for the tainted nominee of a president under a cloud?